Breading Mixes

There isn't always day-old bread around when you need crumbs for chicken cutlets or fish fillets. When you do have stale bread, make a few seasoned blends and freeze them. We've come up with four breadcrumb mixes -- lemon and sage, almond and garam masala, coconut and lime, and Parmesan and oregano -- each requiring a half pound of bread.

Each of these recipes yields about two and a quarter cups breadcrumbs. Dip chicken cutlets or fish fillets in flour, next in beaten eggs, and then in seasoned breadcrumbs. Freeze unused breadcrumbs in a resealable plastic bag up to one month.